THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2015
Business & Ag
Cell towers denied
BY SUNNY WERNER
Sunny@TheBakerCountyPress.com
On Wednesday, October
14, Baker’s City Plan-
ning Commission met for
the second time to review
Verizon’s applications to
receive Conditional Use
Permits for two, 100-foot
cell towers within Baker
City limits.
Currently, the height
limitations for structures
adjacent to a residential
zone are 38 feet and indus-
trial zones are limited to
50 feet.
Verizon was requesting
a 62-foot and a 50-foot
variance, to place their
100-foot towers.
Since the original
presentation by Christine
Smith of ACOM Consult-
ing, representing Verizon,
was made on September
16, the Commission and
the community participants
expected answers to the
questions raised at that
time.
Smith spoke briefly
about the need to provide
future support for estimat-
ed needs and explained the
actual reason for Verizon’s
planned 100-foot towers
was “necessary, or the data
transmission will drop
dramatically.”
When questioned about
how accurate the time
frame was, Smith ac-
knowledged that, in fact,
those data were based on
estimated future needs, not
present usage.
Smith went on to say, “If
we can’t have two, 100-
foot towers, we will need
four, 50-foot towers.”
The questions that had
been raised during the
previous meeting were not
addressed, such as what
Verizon charged other cell
services for co-locating on
Verizon towers. Smith had
emphasized the neces-
sity to provide towers tall
enough to co-locate four
to six other companies’
equipment in her first
presentation.
Comments were opened
to the public.
First spoke Mary Miller,
who quoted the Baker
City Development Code.
“According to Code,”
said Miller, use of exist-
ing buildings is recom-
mended.”
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Cattle Market Report —
Sunny Werner / The Baker County Press
City Planning Commission: Ned Ratterman, Tim Collins, Alan Blair (Chair) Rob
Ellingson. Not shown: Aaron Still, Brandy Bruce. At podium: Christine Smith of
ACOM, for Verizon.
Miller also stated, “Ms.
Smith is unprepared,
and has failed to show
evidence to support her
claims. Smith says 70 deci-
bels will be maximum cell
tower emission, but City
Code allows 45 decibels.”
Ann Mehaffy said that
she resided one block
from proposed site on East
Street. “Property is a major
investment, and having
cell towers will definitely
not increase values” she
pointed out.
“I will quote the City
Development Code,” Me-
haffy said. “In the preface
it states that ‘Intelligent
regulation by community
leads to continuing in-
creased property values.’”
Terry Grever Dee said, “I
am not convinced ACOM
investigated all the pos-
sibilities.”
Sean Peterson stated
he “had contacted all the
industrial property own-
ers, none of whom were
approached by Verizon or
ACOM.” Peterson went on
to say, “Cell towers have
major safety issues, as we
have seen before. They
are basically a 100-foot
lightning rod.”
Davey Peterson said he
would like to see a survey
of potential purchasers,
asking them if they would
be willing to buy near a
cell tower.
Public hearing closed.
Commissioners deliber-
ated.
Rob Ellingson made the
statement that the Code
states 38 and 50 feet as the
accepted limits for height.
“The Code was something
a lot of us worked on, and
I don’t think we should al-
low variances very often,”
he said.
Tim Collins asked, “Do
we want several 50-foot
towers or a few 100-foot
towers? The Code encour-
ages co-location, but that
can’t be done on 50-foot
towers. Also, we can’t
offer good internet data to
possible new businesses.”
Alan Blair answered Col-
lins. He said, “The Code
was written with the exist-
ing towers in mind.”
Blair went on to state
that, according to page 3 of
the Staff Report (available
to the public at City Hall)
the East Street site was not
adequate. He also referred
to the “huge majority of
public testimony received
last meeting and by mail
was not in favour because
of the esthetic impact the
towers would have.”
Ellingson stated, “We get
the Codes from the State,
and we modify them to fit
Baker. We talked about
this; I am not convinced
we need to change the
existing Code.”
Aaron Still said, “Cell
towers never improve
property values.”
Collins said, “A small in-
dustrial area on East Street
will affect a good number
of properties.”
Ned Ratterman made the
motion to deny the Condi-
tional Use Permit based on
testimony regarding East
Street, saying it does not
meet the Use Criteria 1 and
2. (Planning Department
Staff Report.)
After being seconded, the
motion passed with all in
favor.
The findings were:
Esthetics and Property Val-
ues would be negatively
affected, and cannot be
mitigated.
For the application re-
garding the proposed 11th
Street site:
Collins stated, “The size
of the site is not adequate,
there will be negative im-
pacts on adjacent proper-
ties.”
Blair said, “We are
willing to look at a tower
higher than 50 feet, but not
100 feet.”
Ratterman said, “We
don’t have scientific
evidence available to arbi-
trarily reduce the height.”
Ellingson said, “The
facilities do not meet the
criteria, and will visu-
ally be a problem for the
people living near.”
A motion was made to
deny the C.U.P., based on
1 and 2, and passed four to
three with the 11th Street
application denied.
and fuel conditions.
Campfires and warming
fires are now allowed with
landowner permission. Joe
Hessel, La Grande Unit
Forester, cautions, “The
moisture we received over
the weekend has helped
lower fire danger. Howev-
er, the larger fuels are still
relatively dry. Folks still
need to be cautious and
ensure that campfires are
dead out before leaving the
camp site.”
Although fire restric-
tions have eased, Fire
Season remains in effect
for private, state, county,
municipal, and tribal lands
protected by the Northeast
Oregon District.
Burn permits are still
required for all open fires
(except campfires), debris
burns and burn barrels.
“The need for a Burn Per-
mit for open burning and
barrels will continue until
we enter a sustained trend
of wetter weather,” said
Hessel.
The Northeast Oregon
District includes lands in
the following counties:
Union, Baker, Wallowa,
Umatilla, and small por-
tions of Grant, Malheur,
and Morrow.
Wolf shot in Grant County
On October 6, 2015,
a Grant County man
reported to the Oregon
Department of Fish &
Wildlife in Canyon City
that he had shot and killed
a wolf while hunting coy-
otes south of Prairie City
in Grant County.
The man met with
ODFW personnel and the
Oregon State Police near
Friday, October 16, 2015 — Eastern Oregon
Prices trended generally steady compared to week
ago prices. Export sales continue to be slow. Re-
tail/Stable demand for all types of hay from Crook,
Deschutes, Jefferson, Wasco counties continues to
be good. Many producers have decided to hold on
to their hay for now, in hopes for higher prices.
Some producers are have had their water rights cut
off due to the drought.
Tons Price Range Wtd Avg
Alfalfa — Small Square, Good
200 150.00-150.00 150.00
Alfalfa / Orchard Mix — Large Square, Premium
32 170.00-170.00 170.00
Alfalfa / Orchard Mix — Large Square, Good
700 150.00-150.00 150.00
Wheat / Barley Straw — Small Square, Utility
400 45.00-45.00 45.00
ODF terminates regulated use
As of 12:01 a.m., Octo-
ber 19, 2015, the Oregon
Department of Forestry
(ODF) has terminated the
Regulated-Use Closure
for private forestlands
protected by the Northeast
Oregon District.
This closure and the
additional fire prevention
restrictions it included are
no longer necessary as a
result of changing weather
— Weekly Hay Report —
Prairie City and a deceased
wolf was recovered from
private property in that
area. The Oregon State
Police have completed
an investigation of the
incident and delivered a
prepared report with all the
facts surrounding the inci-
dent to the Grant County
District Attorney's Office
for review.
Wolves are protected
by the state Endangered
Species Act throughout
Oregon and it is unlaw-
ful to shoot one, except
in defense of human life.
(Livestock producers in
the eastern third of the
state may also take wolves
in certain situations; see
the ODFW Wolf Plan for
boundaries and details.
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/
Wolves/management_plan.
asp)
The wolf was a dispers-
ing male originally from
the Umatilla River pack in
northeast Oregon.
Any questions regarding
the incident should be di-
rected to the Grant County
District Attorney's Office.
Do you pick up a copy of The Baker County Press on racks every week! Why not turn a
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Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 1,342
Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk 254.00 - 298.00 Top 311.00
400-500# Bulk 195.00 - 250.00 Top 252.00
500-600# Bulk 183.00 - 220.00 Top 221.00
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk 213.00 - 233.00 Top 245.00
400-500# Bulk 163.00 - 197.75 Top 200.00
500-600# Bulk 171.00 - 191.00 Top 191.60
Yearling Steers
600-700# Bulk 175.00 - 194.00 Top 207.00
700-800# Bulk 169.00 - 178.00 Top 179.50
800-900# Bulk 167.00 - 176.00 Top 181.00
900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A
Yearling Heifers
600-700# Bulk 151.00 - 174.00 Top 183.00
700-800# Bulk 149.00 - 168.00 Top 170.00
800-900# Bulk 139.00 - 163.00 Top 165.50
900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A
Thin Shelly Cows 51.00 - 69.00
Butcher Cows 74.00 - 82.00
Butcher Bulls 72.00 - 86.00
Stock Cows Yng. N/A
Younger Hfrts. 103.00 - 126.00
Stock Cows - N/A
ProducersLivestock.com
541-473-3136
— Log Price Report —
Price per 1,000 board feet: Northeast Oregon
Doug Fir is $415.00/mbf
White fir is $365.00/mbf
Ponderosa Pine is brought sold
on diameter splits
6 to 11 inch dib $300 to $310/MBF
12 to 17 inch dib $350 to $375/MBF
18 to 23 inch dib $400 to $430/MBF
24 inch plus dib $450 to $500/MBF
DIB is diameter inside bark at
small end of log.
MBF is thousand board feet lumber, net scale.
People interested in selling logs
should call and get specific
quotes from saw mills.
Courtesy of Arvid Andersen,
Andersen Forestry Consulting
— Precious Metals Report —
Price per ounce, USD
Gold: $1165.90
Silver: $15.71
Platinum: $1005.68
Palladium: $679.65
Bloomberg.com
— Ag Commodities —
Corn: $378.55/bu/USD
Wheat: $496.25/bu/USD
Soybeans: $902.25/bu/USD
Oats: $227.00 bu/USD
Rough Rice: $12.21/cwt/USD
Canola: $478.90 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $143.13/lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $191.50/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $68.23//lb./USD
Bloomberg.com